Central Market

03/30/09

Not just for food...check out their FLORAL department!!

by RonM at Citysearch

I can't say enough praises about their floral department. Each time I buy flowers, we are amazed at how long they last. They get the freshest flowers. The 3 bunches for $12.99 can make anyone an amateur florist. Selection will vary based on what is fresh out in the market. Now, I have to sing the praises of Scott. I was sent to order flowers for my wedding. I'm the groom, not the bride. This was not fair but I took on the challenge anyway. I have Scott the few wishes of my future bride and I could see the wheels turning on what he was going to create. Two days later I came to pick them up and they were AMAZING. He far exceeded what we could have ever expected.

• Pros: Amazing flowers that last for weeks! Great prices.
• Cons: I can't think of anything negative about this department.

01/24/09

ups and downs

by bugmenot12 at Citysearch

Pros: Huge variety, delicious prepared foods, i have to stress how incredible the selection is. They have stuff you would never see anywhere else in Houston. The coffee selection, stuff you can buy in bulk, chocolate, wines, breads, etc - wow, there is so much variety! And the free samples! yum! I love bringing out of town guests here.

Cons: Not enough parking, crowded at most hours of the day, the worst is that even though they have SO much variety, not much of it is very fresh. I know people are saying they have the freshest seafood and meat, but I am a vegetarian so I'm not sure about that. But of the vegetables, the leafy greens and roots are typically really overpriced AND tough (I am willing to pay a lot for fresh vegetables), they stock organic milk that is older than in other stores, i once bought cheese there that went moldy in less than a week, spiced red peppers that went moldy in about 1 week, their eggs aren't that fresh either, the list goes on and on.

My bottom line is that it is super fun to go with your friends, check out the free samples, but buyer beware if you aren't eating the food that you buy within 3-4 days. As for fresh leafy or root vegetables, better to buy somewhere else because everything here is tough and gamey, unless it's some exotic ingredient that you can't get at another store. If you must buy vegetables here, cook within the day.

03/29/07

Good selection, Bad traffic

by lilim at Citysearch

I went there for the first time on a Saturday and was amazed at the produce; everything I needed and them some. The only problem with this place is that it gets extremely congested. My husband and I made the mistake of getting the larger cart and came to find out that it was very difficult to move around, turn, even wait at the deli. It was a little expensive but worth it. Overall, I would say I would go there again only if I needed a specialty product only because of the massive amounts of people, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I don't blame all of these people for shopping there, Central Market has some of the best cust. service ever. and has quality products.

• Pros: Customer Service, variety, selection, clean
• Cons: too many people